“No.” He took the fifty fifty shot and came up on top.
“Right?!” She leaned her head over and put in on his shoulder, breathing in his musky scent.
Francis wondered if he hadn't made a terrible mistake.
When the cab pulled up in front of the hotel, Valentina leaned forward and ducked down to see the façade.
“Oh wow! You must have buckets of cash!” She said, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. Francis opened the door of the cab and slid out. Once again, shoving a small wad of bills through the driver’s window, he waited on the sidewalk for Valentina to slide out of the cab too. She stumbled briefly in her heeled knee high boots and grabbed for his arm. Francis offered it and she righted herself with a silly laugh. “Oops! I can never walk in these damn things!” She said, looking down at the boots as if it were their fault that she couldn't balance in them. Francis smiled politely and after ensuring that she was steady on her feet, he led her up to the entrance of the hotel.
“Good evening, Mr. Holmes.” The doorman said. Francis nodded.
“Good evening.” Even his own voice sounded strange to him after listening to Valentina prattle on for the entirety of the cab ride back to the hotel.
“Good evening!” Valentina chimed in as they walked through the door and in to the hotel lobby.
Francis did his best to rush Valentina up to his room without her being seen. She, on the other hand did everything she could to ensure that everyone knew that she was there. By the time the elevator doors closed on them, Francis knew that Valentina was not going to work. Pushing the first floor button, he waited for the doors to open again and when they did he held the ‘open door’ button.
“You should leave.” He said brusquely. Then, reaching in to his pocket with his free hand he offered her a twenty dollar bill. “For your cab.” He said. She stood looking at him open mouthed.
“Are you kiddin’ me?” She said, looking him up and down. He shook his head silently. “Are you fucking kiddin’ me?” She asked again. Then she slapped the twenty dollar bill out of his hand. “I ain't no whore!” And with that she stormed out of the elevator, through the hotel lobby and Francis lost sight of her when the elevator doors closed. He breathed a sigh of relief. Not even sex was worth enduring Valentina for one more second, although Francis’s aching cock was apt to disagree.
When the elevator finally came to a stop at the penthouse, Francis stepped out in to the lobby. He was more than certain that he didn't have what it took to find a girl in New York and he was absolutely positive that ‘goth’ wasn't what he was looking for. Still, despite his narrow escape, he couldn't help but feel disappointed as he walked down the marble hallway towards his room. He had been so confident that New York would hold exactly what he was looking for.
As he reached the concierge desk outside his room, Francis noticed that the first of the two girls from earlier was seated there alone. He offered her a smile.
“Good evening.” He said, his voice dripping with seduction.
“Good evening, Mr. Holmes.” The girl said timidly, afraid to lift her eyes to meet his. Francis walked over to her.
“What is your name?” He asked in a singsong tone. Again the girl didn't look up.
“Anne.” She said quietly.
“Well, Anne, I wanted to offer to you my sincerest apologies for the way that I was behaving earlier. You know,” he reached across the desk and touched her hand lightly with his fingers. “I was very tired flying from Romania and I just was not myself.” Anne nodded, her eyes still glued to the desk in front of her. Finally, Francis reached up and with one finger hooked under her chin, he raised her face to look at him. “I am afraid, that perhaps you are thinking that I am some kind of monster…” Anne couldn't look away from his violet tinted eyes. “I would like perhaps to offer you a drink, in my way of apologizing.” Anne blinked slowly and then nodded.
“That would be nice.” She said.
When Anne had agreed to drinks with Francis, however, she had been certain that he referred to drinks outside his room. Perhaps even drinks at the bar in the hotel lobby, but when he beckoned her to follow him to the penthouse suite she found herself unable to refuse.
“Please, make yourself at home.” Francis said, gesturing to the sofa in the living quarters. “I will fetch the champagne.” He gave her a quick smile as he went to retrieve the bottle and glasses that had upset him so much earlier.
When Francis returned with two full glasses and handed one to Anne, her eyes once again grew wide.
“Oh my God! Champagne?” She said in a quiet but excited voice. Francis couldn't help but laugh as he nodded his head. There was something appealing to him in her innocence. “Are you sure?” She asked as she watched the tiny bubbles in the glass racing up to the surface.